The Revolution Pt.2 of 2

The revolution will not be advertised.

The revolution will not make the account manager choose the clients over his colleagues. It will not make him say ‘yes’ to pretty much everything concluded by the client. It will not make him add a few more slides just to make the presentation look more credible. It will not make him do contact reports that will not hold the client accountable anyway. It will not make him sell ideas he does not believe in. It will not make him resort to MLM just to make ends meet.

The revolution will not make the designers become overworked drones. It will not make them take in the comments of art directors, copywriters and account managers, and then listen to none. It will not make them wish they’d listened to their parents and study accounting instead. It will not make them do freelance in the little time they have because they’re severely underpaid. It will not make them choose a competitor’s product just to spite the client when making a purchase.

The revolution will not make the advertising or direct marketing or interactive agency a marketing errand firm. It will not allow clients to judge creative work based on personal preference instead of the common marketing good. It will not make agencies spoil the market with ridiculously low prices just to get the job. It will not make the agency to pitch for a job without a pitch fee as prescribed by AAAA. It will not make advertising professionals among the least trusted professions in the world.

The revolution will not be advertised, because the revolution is alive. And it will not end with this post, as the revolution is in you.

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Where is the love?

Love for the brand seems suicidal
Love for the brand seems suicidal

Do clients realise what they are doing? Do they know the kind of repercussion it has when they set a ridiculous deadline? Don’t they know that the agency/client relationship is a two-way lane?

Are they doing it intentionally? Those irrational amendments, the last minute change of direction and the sudden additional information that screws up the whole layout. Are those petty, trivial, tiny, obscure comments to show whose in-charge even necessary?

Okay, just for the benefit of the doubt. Clients do have loads on their plates too. ROI, reports, post mortems, justification, analysis, sales, meetings, bosses, big bosses and many more responsibilities to shoulder. But does that give them the right to take it out on agencies.

Yes, we’ve heard of the customer/client is always right adage. But we do not sell a product and then forget about it. We are in the consultancy business, which often means full-time involvement. We’re in it for the long run, to grow together, to share the ups and downs… to essentially be a part of the brand.

It is that difficult to realise that we, the agency folks, are consumers too? We eat, buy clothes, go to the mall, own cars, get married, buy a house, plan finances, invest, have children, travel and do pretty much everything ‘civilian’ consumers do. We have our needs, wants and aspirations too. We, the marketing errand boys are in effect clients of our clients, now or perhaps in future.

If we start hating a particular client, we start to hate their brand. This kind of hate, is usually the one that lasts a lifetime. Even the brands we used to like suddenly doesn’t appeal to us anymore. And if we hate a particular brand, how on earth can we make others adore it?

Please guys, give us due respect. Nobody likes to be told how to do their job. Yes, we may screw up occasionally, but it’s part of the leaning process. We really, genuinely want the finest for your brand. If possible, we want to be in love with your brand: to honour, understand and cherish it. If we work for a brand we love, it means you’re getting the best from us.

Let’s make some love shall we?

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